Improvement in feed-water heaters and condensers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E.KMCNEILL AND RUFUS N. PRATT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEED-WATER HEATERS AND CONDENSERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139.908, dated J' une 1'7, 1873; application filed September 21, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS EMGNEILL and RUFUs N. PRATT, both of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Heaters and Condensers, of which the following is a speciiication:

This invention is designed more particularly for heating, by means of waste steam, the feed-water for steam-boilers, and it consists in the combination, with a suitable waterchamber, of a steam-inlet chamber, angularly bent tubes, and an external steam-conduit chamber furnished with a suitable outlet-pipe. By this means the heater is constituted with a great tube-surface, in whichfwithout back pressure, the steam is kept in contact with the tubes for a length oi' time sufficient to impart to the utmost its available heat to the water, the apparatus also being capable of easy examination and repair when needed, and the shape of the tubes providing against any starting of the joints from the expansion and contraction due to changes of temperature. s

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a heater constructed accordingv to our invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken in the line .r x of Fig. 1.

A is a chamber of sheet metal or other suitable material, and through which the water to be heated is passed through suitable rinlet and outlet pipes. External to and concentric With this chamber is another chamber, B, of annular form, and which, as presently herein explained, constitutes a conduit for the passage of the steam after it leaves the tubes C. These tubes C are vertical for a large portion of their length, but at any desired height from the bottom of the chamber A are bent horizontally, so that they radiate outward with their outer ends fixed in and through the sides a of the chamber, and in communication with the conduit-chamber B. The lower ends of the tubes are iixed in and through the bottom of the chamber A and communicate with the steam-inlet chamber D, to which steam (preferably the exhaust from an engine) is conducted by a pipe attached at c. The chamber B has an outlet, as shown at d.

.The conduit-chamber B, instead of surrounding entirely the chamber A, may be arranged around that portion only at which the upper or horizontal parts of the tubes C project through the sides oi' the chamber A, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. l.

The water for feeding steam-boilers or for other uses is caused to pass at any desired velocity through the chamber A, and simultaneously with this the steam is caused to pass through the inlet steam-chamber D `into the tubes O, and thence into the conduitchamber B, whence it iinally makes its exit through the outlet d. The steam, being somewhat retarded in its passage through the tubes, is allowed time for the greatest practicable transfer of its heat through the tubes to the water in the chamber A, and afterward, when in transit to the outlet, being kept in contact with the external surface ofthe chamber A, not only prevents that loss of heat by radiation which would result with an unjacketed chamber, but continues to vcommunicate heat thereto until nally passing out of contact therewith. By this means, therefore, the utilization of the heat in the waste or exhaust steam is eii'ectually secured. Furthermore, the form and arrangementof the tubes give practically a greater heatingsurface than is obtained in heaters of ordinary construction, and, furthermore, enables the tubes to adjust themselves to the changes induced by varying temperatures without detriment to the joints by which their ends are secured in place. Furthermore, by simply removing the external shell by which the steam-conduit chamber is provided, and the bottom or base-plate of the steam-inlet chamber, access may be conveniently had to the ends of the tubes for purposes oi' examination or repair.

What we claim as our invention is- The heater, comprising the water-chamber A, steam-conduit chamber B provided with the outlet d, bent tubes C, and steam-inlet chamber D, the Whole constructed and arranged for operation substantially as and for the purpose specified.

THOMAS E. McNEILL. RUFUS N. PRATT. Witnesses:

MICHAEL RYAN, FRED. HAYNEs. 

